In our third episode, we spoke with Rich Brubaker, the founder of Collective Responsibility. With over two decades of working and living in China, Rich has established himself as one of the leading pro-active and hands-sustainability experts. His firm, Collective Responsibility, is a Shanghai-based strategic advisory and sustainability strategy consultancy advising multinational companies.
We looked at the various layers of organizational levers that drive sustainability, drawing inspiration from compelling case examples at Starbucks and Lego. We also explored the idea of addressing potentially small but real problems as a strategic entry point for companies looking to make a meaningful impact on sustainability rather than trying to tackle the overwhelming challenge of global climate change all at once.
Key Discussion Points:
How driving local initiatives will make more significant change happen over time.
Innovation through failure: how embracing setbacks is critical to progress.
Exploring the sustainability efforts of multinational companies in China
Timestamped Outline:
[00:00] –Introduction
[01:55] –Rich's work in Asia doing sustainability, CSR, and social innovation.
[07:07] - Multinational perspectives: Rich's advice on sustainable practices.
[17:15] - Organizational dynamics: unveiling the four essential layers for change.
[22:55] - Strategies to overcome mid-management hurdles.
[25:53] - The Lego Group: failure as a feature of sustainable innovation.
[34:48] - Interface: biomimicry in sustainable product design
[38:49] - Balancing authentic storytelling narratives with tangible problem-solving
[44:19] - Systems, raw material economics, and climate-driven inflation
[51:14] - Rich's content recommendations for moving beyond broad strokes content.
Referenced in the show:
Alan Watts on YouTube
